House of Dawntreader
The House of Dawntreader is the noble house headed by Vaeronia Dawntreader. Its home is Dawntreader Estate, located near the coastline in southwestern Eversong Woods. Basic Information Primary Residence: * Dawntreader Estate, Eversong Woods Secondary Residences: * Apartments, Silvermoon City * Aelryn's Hold, Ghostlands History Founding The House of Dawntreader is among the oldest noble houses in Quel'Thalas, being able to trace its records back to the Sundering. Its founder was a Kaldorei Highborne named Verdin Nightsarrow, who was among the Highborne that followed Dath'Remar Sunstrider in his journey across the Great Sea to modern day Lordaeron. After Dath'Remar founded the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, Verdin changed his last name from Nightsarrow to Dawntreader, in honor of the nation's sovereign and their people's reverence to the sun. Verdin's house became one mostly known for its magic users and magisters, a legacy of his past history as a Highborne. Through carefully arranged marriages to other noble houses of considerable magical and political power, Verdin and his descendants wielded considerable wealth and influence in the Court of the Sun. Aelryn's Ascension Roughly 4,000 years before the present time, Aelryn Dawntreader was born to Lord Vathos and Lady San'nela. Firstborn and heir to the family, his parents were horrified to learn that he had no real affinity for magic, They conceived and had two other children in preparation for more desirable political matches. However, what he lacked in magic, Aelryn more than made up for in athleticism, skill with a bow, and a keen and cunning mind. The Dawntreader family's political clout allowed Aelryn to serve in the Ranger Corps. as an officer, rising to the rank of captain when the Amani Trolls began one of their incursions. Around this time in Thalassian history, the Amani mostly harassed and raided outlying settlements in the Thalassian frontier. This time, however, the Amani Empire fielded an invasion force to reclaim their lost territory. While the Gurubashi Empire stayed neutral in the conflict, having their own internal problems to deal with, the Zandalari aided their forest cousins and provided naval support to counter the powerful Thalassian Navy. Aelryn proved himself early in this war with the Amani. When the Ranger-General of Silvermoon was killed in action, Aelryn rallied his demoralized troops and pushed back the Amani's advance. For proving himself a capable commander, Aelryn was named the next Ranger-General. Among his many accomplishments during the war included a decisive victory near the shores of Quel'Danas, where the entire Amani-Zandalari fleet was decimated without the Thalassian Navy losing a single vessel. This was the turning point in the war and the Amani Empire was forced to sue for peace a few months later. Quel'Thalas expanded past its current borders into present-day Eastern Lordaeron following the war. Aelryn had a fortress and residence built on a hill overlooking several important strategic locations along the Thalassian-Amani border regions, including the Amani capital of Zul'Aman. This fortress was simply named The Hold while Aelryn was still alive, but renamed Aelryn's Hold after his death. Decline Contrary to his parents' worries, Aelryn was not only a noteworthy noble, but became a celebrated hero and trusted adviser to the Sunstriders. He was also named a Serdar of the Thalassian peerage, a distinct upgrade for the House in prestige and power within the Court of the Sun. Unfortunately, his descendants did not share his ambitions. Future Dawntreaders lived off of Aelryn's legacy, becoming complacent with the hero's name and reputation. As the millennia passed, Aelryn's legacy became legend, but his family's influence eroded away. Soon the Dawntreaders became little more than a backwater house with only a moderate amount of wealth compared to other, ascendant noble houses. They managed to be hold on to their holdings and titles of Esarthises, the House's original status. But it was a far cry from their height as the leaders of Thalassian military and advisers to kings. Vandir's Ambition Vandir Dawntreader was born 730 years before the present day to Lord Vaeron and Lady Kaerenna. Vaeron and Kaerenna had together stabilized the House of Dawntreader's standing within the Thalassian peerage. While still not the great house it once was, it was far more respectable than it had been. Vaeron had vineyards grown on the estate grounds and made back a considerable amount of wealth that had been lost in the decline. Kaerenna practiced animal husbandry, breeding prized Thalassian Steeds with their signature horns as well as Hawkstriders. Vaeron raised Vandir and his younger brother, Cerin'nar to be magisters to take his place in the Court of the Sun. He arranged marriages between his house and the Houses of Lightsinger and Sunshield to gain further influence for his sons. But Vandir was even more ambitious than his father. He was determined to bring the House of Dawntreader back to the glory days of Aelryn. Though he lacked the martial prowess of his ancestor, he rebuilt the family through other means than heroism. Under his stewardship, the Dawntreader Vineyards transformed from a mere means to maintain wealth into one of the largest producers of wine in the Eastern Kingdoms. Lord Vandir was quoted as saying "I will make sure that every bar, restaurant, and inn from the Seven Kingdoms to Stranglethorn will have one bottle of Dawntreader Red." And he succeeded. He used the House's resources to build a mercantile fleet that shipped his family's wine to Lordaeron, Kul Tiras, Stormwind City, Gilneas, and Menethil Harbor. The ships contained carriages that would transport the wine to inland cities such as Stromgarde and even Ironforge. Vandir and his wife Ilenia produced three children. The first was Zaldorell, who grew to be a strong warrior. The second was Vaeronia, who Vandir groomed to be a magister, although the girl preferred going to the human kingdoms with her mother, who was a diplomat and priestess. She eventually joined the Alliance of Lordaeron in the Second War as a battle-cleric. The youngest was Therin'thas, who possessed a sharp eye and a skill for archery, leading him to serve in the Ranger Corps. Scourge Invasion to Modern Times The Scourge Invasion decimated the House of Dawntreader, nearly extinguishing the House entirely. Lady Ilenia was the first to die, as she was in Lordaeron's Capital City when Prince Arthas returned from Northrend as a Death Knight. Therin'thas was believed to be killed in what is now the Ghostlands along with nearly his entire company of Rangers, though his body was never recovered. Vandir and Zaldorell both died defending Silvermoon City from Arthas' undead hordes. Vaeronia survived, but only because she was in the right place at the right time: helping escort human refugees from Lordaeron to Stormwind as well as tending to any wounds or diseases they suffered. Cerin'nar, his wife Eliana, and his daughter Ledaria also survived as they had moved to Stormwind to help the family business's southern operations a couple of years ago. The Dawntreader Estate and Aelryn's Hold remarkably suffered little damage, although a manor house owned by the family in western Silvermoon City was completely destroyed. Like Vaeronia, they were in the right place: completely out of the way of Arthas' path of genocide. However, the vineyards did suffer from some ruin from stray undead attacks as well as from looters. It took some years to regrow what was lost and bring operations back to normal. With her uncle and his family choosing to remain in Stormwind, Lady Vaeronia reclaimed her family's holdings and declared herself the Matriarch of the House. With no male heirs, the future of the house looks grim, but Vaeronia has the ambition of her father. She has sworn to restore the house to its former glory. Belore's Flare Belore's Flare is an ancient blade and the family heirloom of the House of Dawntreader. Aelryn was given the blade as a gift from the king after the Battle of Quel'Danas. The two-handed sword was forged with the finest materials known to elvenkind. The blade was then infused with the arcane energy of the Sunwell. Aelryn used this arcane energy to protect himself from enemy magical attacks, but the sword could also be used to augment a mage's magical power or a Spellbreaker's ability to absorb and use their foes' own magical attacks against them. Much like the House of Dawntreader, Belore's Flare fell into disrepair in the centuries after Aelryn's death. Even the arcane energy contained within the sword dissipated entirely. Lady Vaeronia recovered the blade after the Sunwell was restored by the Draenei Prophet Velen. She had the sword re-tempered by Silvermoon's finest blacksmiths. After the sword was combat-ready once more, Vaeronia made pilgrimage to the Sunwell. There she was allowed to re-infuse the blade with the Sunwell's energy. This turned the previously purple arcane runes engraved into the blade into white-golden ones, filled with both arcane and holy energies. This suits Vaeronia's needs and augments her already strong power with the Light. The blade gives her a decisive advantage over unholy enemies such as demons and the undead. Sworn Lesser Houses, Historical and Modern Times - House of Suncrown - House of Lightsinger - House of Sunshield - House of Hawkfeather - House of Sunshope - House of Belo'danil - House of Sunflare (extinct) - House of Hawkbreeze (extinct) Category:Quel'Thalas Peerage Category:Houses and Clans